Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1887-03-10
A SEAMAN'S YARN.
Sensations of Man Who Got Into the
Embrace of Devil-Fish.

S0nshtionu OF man VINO LOT INTO tnt
Embrace of a Devil-Fish.
"We were lying about half a mile
off the beach at Barbados, overhaul
ing the standing rigging" said James
Gillis, able seaman, "when the mate
ordered John Webb, an apprentice boy,
and myself into the yawl, which had
been covered and brought around to
the port side, that some painting might
be done just abaft the mainmast. 1t
was terribly hot day, with the water
very warm and the men having little
energy The paint was lowered down
to us, and while / used the brush the
boy held the yawl in position. We had
been at work for about a quarter Of an
hour when the boy suddenly yelled out
in alright, and as 1 turned to him he
declared that he had seen a horrible
looking object pass under the boat, and
so on under the ship. There are plenty
of strange creatures floating about in
those waters and a patch of sea-weed
will sometimes assume queer shape.
laughed at the boys fears, but at the
same time saw how pale and frightened
ne looked.
"'What's wanted below therep called
the mate as he leaned over the rail, hav-
ing heard Webb's cry of alarm.
"1-I saw something go under the
boat, sir
80, you did. Well, if you bawl on,
again you'll feel something go under
your jacket"
II began work again, and had been
at it only three or four minutes when
the yawl heaved away from the ship
two or three feet, and at the same in
slant the boy screamed out again. His
voice had scarcely reached my ears
when something flashed before my eyes,
something caught my arm and pulled it
down and pinned it fast to my body, and
in five seconds more l knew what had
happened. A devil-fsh had flung one
ofhis arms about me. Webb was scream
ing at the top of his voice, and, as got
look at him, | saw that two of the
beasts feelers were clutching him. The
arm or feeler which had reached me
pinned my arm to my side as if in wise,
making clean wrap around my body
and the extreme end of the feeler crept
up along my neck and face. Talk Of
pain; never felt any thing like it. The
teeth of a bulldog couldn't have hurt
worse. 1t was burning, biting, blister
ing sensation, as if live coal had been
laid on the flesh. | added my yells to
those of Webb, but before any one came
to the rail l was jerked to my knees in
the boat, and saw that the creatures OBJ
ject was to pull me.overboard. heard
the boy go down and thrash about, and
then three of the men came to our as
sistance.
"The devil-fsh had outwitted him
self He had gone under the ship and
fastened to her bottom or keel, and as
soon as he began pulling on us, he Of
course pulled the yawl close against the
ships side. That closed the gap, and
he could not pull us overheard, although
| think he would have upset the yawl
for we were both down on her star.
board side and she was almost on her
beam ends when the men jumped down
They began to cut and slash and hack
with their knives, and after two OIL
three minutes they had us free-not o.
| the arms, but of the creature. W.
were hoisted on board howling and
groaning, with the feelers still biting
and they had to be cut from us almos
by inches. Webb got it far worse thar
l did, as he wore a thin cotton shir
and was barefooted He was bitten OF
one foot, both hands, and across tn,
breast, and it was long two week
before he was on deck again. His fac,
swelled up until one eye was closed
t and the poison made me ill for man,
days. Wherever one of the cups o
suckers took hold, the skin was entirei,
E taken of, and il seemed as if pins ha,
been stuck into the raw flesh A ma
} tive doctor brought me some herbs o
which to make poultice, and, thoug
. that relieved the pain and helped me t
get around again, it was months befor
/. my face was entirely well.
"The devil-fsh minded the loss @
his three arms for only half an hour. a
the end of which time he clutched th
+ empty boat, half-capsized her and swar
+ twice around the ship as defiance t
:. the crew. Two or three musket ball
+ were fired into him, and he sank out c
+ sight to be seen no more during on
=, stay. IN Y. Sun.